


District 127

by lunestardrops



Series: Dare To Dream [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi, New Beginnings, also looking for someone, johnjae brothers!, taeyong is starting fresh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29771283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunestardrops/pseuds/lunestardrops
Summary: welcome to dare to dream, everyone. i hope you enjoy the first chapter!
Series: Dare To Dream [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188107
Kudos: 7





	District 127

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to dare to dream, everyone. i hope you enjoy the first chapter!

**[The Lee Residence, District 127 - Summer of 2009]**

_ It’s already so tense...God, how am I gonna bring this up? If I don't tell them now I never will...but if I  _ do _ tell them now I might end up leaving with unresolved issues— _

“What are you thinking about so hard over there, little one,” his brother asks, tapping his finger against Taeyong's head a few times, “I can practically hear your brain turning.”

“Ah, hyung,” Taeyong whines, batting Taemin’s hand away and mockingly threatening him with his fork. Next to him Jieun chuckles at their antics.

“For real though, you've been sitting there looking like you're constipated ever since you sat down,” his older sister inquires.

Taeyong sighs and places his fork down. His siblings make eye contact with each other, faces painted in concern and even his parents look up from their plates.

“I didn't want to say anything because it’s already so tense...but, if I don't say anything I never will. So. I'm just gonna get it over with. I have a ticket booked to Weishen for tomorrow morning. I bought it over 7 months ago.”

His father sighs and his mother suppresses a groan.

“Tae, how many times do we have to tell you that we have no place up there with the rich and wealthy, it’s dangerous,” his mom scolds, forehead creased and eyebrows furrowed.

“Son. They’re never gonna accept you up there. Yes, you're an amazing artist, anyone with eyes can tell. But they're snobby, they don't understand,” his father continues.

Taeyong almost breaks then.  _ Almost. _

“That's actually not what I’m going up there for. And it's not why I brought it up in the first place. First off, I didn't want to be marked off as a missing person because if I just up and disappeared one night you’d panic, that’s already happened one too many times. Secondly, the train takes a track on the outer rim of U.”

His sister gasps and his brother chokes on his salad.

“You know U’s been unstable lately, why haven't you canceled,” his father roars.

“Because life here is boring and routine. At least if I die out there I’ll die on an adventure and not stuck in this typical suburban town.”

His mom’s eyes water and Taeyong wishes at that moment that he'd never said a word.

“I’ve already packed. My bag’s with a friend I’m staying with, and I’ll be leaving tonight,” Taeyong’s voice is tight and tense, his hands clenched so hard his knuckles have turned white. His chair is much too loud, screeching with protest when he stands up and goes to grab his phone and duffel bag. Taemin goes after him when he exits through the front door and a few seconds later his sister follows.

Taemin looks at him for a few moments, head tilted to the side before gathering Taeyong into a big hug, “Be safe, yeah? If you don’t come back I’ll drag you back myself.” Taeyong chuckles into his older brother’s shoulder but it sounds pained. God, he’s trying so hard not to fall apart in front of them. Jieun wastes no time tugging him from the embrace and cupping his cheeks in her hands.

“Listen to your gut, hm? Use your heart and your head, both. Using only one will leave you dead or an emotional wreck. Mom and Dad love you, you know they do. It’s just tough having their youngest leave home, especially during times like this,” Jieun rubs at Taeyong’s cheeks as he speaks and he almost wants to turn back. But he’s got people counting on him, he can’t be a coward now.

Behind him he hears the familiar sound of Johnny’s BMW honk in impatience and he giggles, tears falling down his face as he turns around to flip the driver off. In the passenger seat Jaehyun leans forward and cackles, and Taeyong’s grin widens. Turning around, his face falls.

“I know you’ve met them before, you approve of them. But there’s someone else I’m bringing along...We’re picking him up later on in the trip,” Taeyong fiddles with his fingers, bottom lip in between his teeth.

“It’s —it’s Mark.”

He doesn’t wait for their reaction, too worried of the looks on their faces.

Just spins around and sprints to the car. When he finally closes the door and taps the back of Johnny’s seat, a sign that he can start driving, he sighs in relief. He can feel his phone blowing up with his siblings messages, knows that his parents will most likely start calling in the next few minutes. But for now he’s got the classic banter of his best friends in front of him. So when Johnny catches his gaze in the rearview mirror, eyes filled with worry and concern, he smiles right back through his puffy, blurry eyes and pink nose.

* * *

As the bumps in the road become familiar, Taeyong begins to get drowsy and the loud chatter of his friends becomes muffled. His eyes trail the falling raindrops on the cold window and as his thoughts slowly slip away his mind wanders back to 6 years ago, the fateful night of his 17th birthday.

Lee Taeyong had a brother once. A younger one by 4 years. The family’s little treasure, center of the 6 of them. Just a big ball of sunshine even when there was no need to be so happy, even when Taeyong felt like falling apart. Taeyong remembers his 17th birthday so clearly it feels like it’s tattooed to his soul. Sometimes he wishes it was just a nightmare. Hell, if it felt so much like one he often wonders why it couldn't be.

**[The Lee Residence, District 127 - July 1st, 2003]**

When freshly turned 17 year old Taeyong walks home with his fingers looped through the sleeves of his backpack and a skip in his step, he expects to come home to all the lights turned off. Looks forward to his sister's bright smile and his younger brother's loud laugh as they see Taeyong’s hands against his cheeks, mocking surprise.

It’s a tradition they have. Every year they pretend that Taeyong doesn’t know he’ll come home to a ‘surprise’ party. The morning of is filled with giggles and big smiles and Taeyong doesnt stop being happy all day long. But this is the night it all aparts. When a tradition of joy turns into a bitter reminder of the biggest betrayal he’ll ever experience.

Taeyong turns onto his street and when he catches sight of the lights on in his house a few residences away, his smile falls, transforms into a slight frown. That’s  _ odd _ . They always have the lights off.  _ Maybe they’re running a little late _ , he thinks, so he slows his steps, reaches to grab his house key even when he doesn't need to, because they always leave the front door unlocked.

But then it’s been 10 minutes and it’s standing right in front of his house and the lights are still on. The silence is cut by the trill of his phone and when he manages to slip it out of his back pocket, his mom’s contact stares back at him. He answers the call with hesitant hands.

“Hey, mama, what’s up?”

Taeyong here’s her sniffle a few times on the other side of the line before asking with a shaky voice, “Taeyongie, my baby, when do you think you’ll be home? Are you almost here?” Taeyong frowns, face tensed.

“I’m actually at the front door right now...Mom is there something wrong? Did something happen?”

His mom takes a few shaky breaths, “Oh my angel I’m so sorry this is happening to you, today of all days—”

Taeyong doesn’t even wait for her to finish, doesn’t wait to hear her continue, just opens the door with urgency. The sight he walks into breaks him. His sister sits on the floor, knees pulled to her chest and head buried into her arms. His brother holds her tight in his hold, caressing her hair. Across them, on the living room couch, his mother sits still, staring blankly at her phone. His father is the first to see him. It feels like the air is choking him.

His dad doesn’t say anything, just offers Taeyong a slip of crumpled paper. But it’s not typical notebook paper, it’s the paper from Mark’s journal. He rushes to grab it and asks shakily, “What is this?”

“Just read it.”

_ Dear family, I will be long gone by the time you find this, and I’ll miss you dearly. _

_ It’s Mark, in case you couldn't tell by my scribble handwriting. I’ve run away from 127. Don’t look for me, don’t report me missing. The government is after me. They’ve found my dream and I’ll be killed most likely sooner than later. I ran before they found you were knowingly housing a Dreamer. They would’ve killed you too and I can’t let that happen. I’m sorry Hyung. I hate that I had to do this on your birthday. But this was the only ticket available and affordable for now. The only other option was 3 years from now. Unfortunately, I don’t have the pleasure of time. I hate myself for doing this too. And for connecting such a happy day to the day your birthday ran away from his unavoidable death when he was only 13. I hope you don't hate me but I wouldn't be surprised if you did. Hyung you’re the only when that knows where I’d disappear to. It’s the only place I ever told you about. Don’t come here yet. Wait. Please don't be unreasonable. “Think with your gut, your brain, and your heart,” as noona once said. I promise I’ll do my best to survive but I can’t say the same to whether or not you’ll find me dead in a few years. You’ll know when I want you to come find me. I’ll get back in contact with you. I love you all, always will. It’s why I made this decision. Look to the stars, never to the ground.  _

_ From someone you might hate by now, Mark. _

He doesn’t remember much after that, he knows he collapsed. Passed out for a week or two from shock. The only thing he does know is that he’s never felt whole since then.

* * *

Taeyong is pulled out of his nostalgia filled dream when Johnny taps him on the knee a few times, lips pouted and eyes wide. Taeyong giggles at the sight. Johnny typically wears stern and closed off facial features and people tend to be afraid of him when in reality he’s just extremely hard to read. Besides his older brother, Jaehyun looks on with mock disgust obvious on his face, and Taeyong sticks his tongue out at him.

As Taeyong stretches and takes in his surroundings, noticing that the rain has stopped and the dying stars are the only thing left staring at him, Johnny gets out to grab Taeyong’s duffle. Jaehyun has long jogged up the steps of their typical two story house and disappeared inside by the time Taeyong’s paint splattered converse make contact with the wet concrete sidewalk. Johnny is sitting on the top of the trunk, staring silently at the sky when Taeyong finally gets out.

“What are you still doing out here?”

Johnny turns around, features all scrunched up with joy as he replies, “Waiting for you, no duh.” Taeyong stares at him, disbelief and fake offense apparent through the round ‘O’ shape of his mouth as Johnny winks at him and skips up the steps to the front door. Taeyong doesn’t let happiness graze his face until Johnny is up at the front and turns around, hand held out for Taeyong to grab.

Taeyong doesn't say thank you too often but he should. Wants to as he remembers all the times Johnny’s looked back just like that, waiting for him, patient and loving. Taeyong tilts his head to the polluted galaxy,  _ Look to the stars, never to the ground _ .

_ I’m going back for you, Mark. I’ll find you. I’ve got to get my other half back, haven’t I? _

**Author's Note:**

> andddd that's a wrap! i hope you all enjoyed this very first chapter of dare to dream, i will be on this journey for at least a year and have been for a year already. updates will be every 15 days, see you then!
> 
> p.s all kudos and comments are appreciated, thank you so much for reading!! <3
> 
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